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Truth Tables 1
Truth Tables 1
Truth Tables 1
I. Truth-Values
II. Truth-Functional Connectives
III. Truth Tables
IV. The Truth-Table
A. Conjunctions
B. Negations
C. Disjunctions
D. Conditionals
E. Biconditionals
I. Truth Values
A proposition has the truth-value T just in case it is true.
A proposition has the truth-value F just in case it is
false.
Examples:
Obama is the president has the truth-value T.
Sarah Palin is the president has the truth-value
F.
II. Truth-Functional Connectives
p ~p
T F
F T
IVc. The Truth-Table for Disjunctions
p q pvq
T T T
T F T
F T T
F F F
p q pvq
T T T
T F T
F T T
F F F
IVd. The truth-table for Conditionals
p q pq
T T T
T F F
F T T
F F T
p q pq
T T T
T F F
F T F
F F T
p q pq p q pq
T T T T T T
T F F T F F
F T T F T F
F F T F F T
Constructing Truth-Tables for Complex Statements
(i.e. statements with two or more connectives)
p q ~p & q
T T
T F
F T
F F
Step 1: Determine how many rows you will need. The number of rows = 2n where
n is the number variables in the compound statement.
Step 2: List all of the truth value combinations.
Constructing Truth-Tables for
Complex Statements
p q ~p & q
T T T T
T F T F
F T F T
F F F F
Step 3: For each row, assign the appropriate truth value to each simple proposition.
Constructing Truth-Tables for
Complex Statements
p q ~p & q
T T FT T
T F FT F
F T TF T
F F TF F
Step 4: Using the five basic truth values, calculate the truth value for the
remaining component propositions. Start with the connectives that have the
smallest scope and then work your way out until you are ready to calculate
the main connective.
Constructing Truth-Tables for
Complex Statements
p q ~p & q
T T FTFT
T F FTFF
F T TFTT
F F TFFF
Step 5: Once you have calculated the truth-value of both sides of the main
connective (or of the negated proposition in the case of negation of a complex
statement), calculate the truth value for the proposition as a whole.
Complete the Truth Table For Each of
the Following Complex Propositions
1. (p V q) & ~(p & q)
2. (p q) V (~p q)
3. (a V b) (a & ~b)
4. (a V b) ~(c a)
5. ((p (a V z)) & (a V ~p)) (~z & ~p)